Lettering device



Oct. 4, 1960 F. G. BUSCH 2,954,610

LETTERING DEVICE Filed July 31, 1957 F/EZ F/LI 4 FIEiEITIMHNU QEEUEFEXV2 23455 7550 mm mm:

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//7VE/77Z7A FEEDER/Eff 6: 51/5571 EH ATT RNE S- United States PatentLETTERING DEVICE Frederick G. Busch, 51 Mount Hope Ave, Providence, RI.

Filed July 31, 1957, Ser. No. 675,318

3 Claims. (Cl. 33-95) This invention relates to a lettering device foruse in making letter and numeral characters.

Good lettering is an art which requires considerable skill which isacquired in most instances by much practice. Many lettering devices havebeen proposed, the use of which has allowed the unskilled to make goodlettering.

An object of the present invention is to improve generally on devices ofthe above character.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a lettering devicefor making letters of various sizes, each proportional to the other.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lettering device inwhich a predetermined spacing between letters may be carried outproportionally for spacing letters of various sizes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lettering device of asimple construction and adapted for use by the most unskilled.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, as will be more fully described andparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a lettering device embodying myinvention;

Fig. 2 is an edge elevational view of the device of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of a lettering device of a slightlymodified construction from that shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is an edge elevational view similar to that shown in Fig. 2 butwith the parts assembled in a ditferent way;

Fig. 5 is a view illustrating the development of a character of thealphabet by the use of the device of Fig. 1; and

"Fig. 6 illustrates various styles of letter and numeral characterswhich may be made with the use of the devices of Figs. 1 and 3. Y

The lettering device 10 shown in Fig. l is particularly adapted formaking vertical lettering and numerals. The device comprises two thintransparent plates 11 and 12 which are made of suitable sheet materialsevered to the shape shown. These are superimposed one upon the otherflatwise and are provided with cooperating edge surfaces 13, 14 and 15,16 respectively, whichform generally a quadrilateral and morespecifically in the illustrated embodiment a rectangular opening 17, theedges of which form guides against which the pointed end of a markinginstrument may engage to draw the branches of letters or numerals.

The plates 11 and 12 are detachably held in any of a plurality ofadjusted relations by any suitable manner, as by way of example, dabs 18of a reuseable adhesive positioned on one or the other of said plates tobe engaged by the other plate. The plate 11 is generally L-shape and hasparallel extending bottom and top edges 19, 20 and parallel extendingside edges 21 and 22 which extend at obtuse angles with the edges 19 and20 respectively. The edges -13 and 14 extend at right angles to eachother and inwardly from the edges 20 and 21 re- 2,954,610 Patented Oct.4, 1960 spectively, and the edge 13 is parallel to the bottom edge orbase 19. The plate 12 is of a general inverted L-shape having side edges23, 24 which extend parallel to each other and with edges 21, 22 whichthey overlie in flush relation therewith. The plate 12 has an edgesurface 25 which is angularly related to the edge 23 for the purpose tobe hereinafter described.

From the above description it will be apparent that the size of opening17 may be changed by sliding the plates relative to each other. Thus,moving the plate 12 toward the edge 20 of plate 11 will increase thesize of opening 17 and moving plate 12 toward the base 19 will decreasethe size of opening 17. The edges 21, 22 are made to extend parallelwith the diagonal D of the opening 17. Now, if a line H is projectedfrom the base 19 at right angles thereto to intersect side 22, atriangle is formed which has a side D parallel to the diagonal D, a sideW parallel to the side W of opening 17 and a side H parallel to side Hof opening 17. Thus, the angles included between similar adjacent sidesof each triangle thus formed are equal to each other. to geometry, twomutually equiangular triangles are similar. If two triangles have theirsides respectively proportional, they are similar. Thus, triangle H, W,D is similar and proportional to triangle H, W, D. Any size triangle H,W, D made by sliding the plates 11 and 12 relative to each other whilemaintaining the alignment of edges 21, 23 and 22, 24 respectively willbe similar and proportional to triangle H, W, D. It is known that thediagonal of a parallelogram divides the figure into equal triangles,thus the triangle h, w, d equals triangle H, W, D and it follows thatany size opening 17 which may be made by sliding the plates 11 and 12along each other while maintaining the alignment of edges 21,

23 and 22, 24 respectively, will be proportional to another opening.Moreover, it will be apparent that an is held against a straight edgeand along which it may be t slid. The pointed end of a markinginstrument such as a pencil or a pen is drawn along the sides of theopening 17 to draw the branches of the particular letter to be Forexample, let it be assumed that the letter A The pencil or pen isdrawn.)

made. is to 'be made (seeFig. 5). along the vertical sides of opening 17so as to draw the upright branch 28 of the letter, and across the upperside to connect the said upright branches with the bridge 29. The pencilor pen may now be engaged with the left vertical side of opening 17, asat 30, and the device slid toward the right to carry the point of theinstrument from the left branch 28 to draw a line 31 to connect with theright branch 28 and complete the letter A. The device is next movedalong the straight edge toward the right so as to position the opening17 for the next letter to be made.

In order to provide for equal spacing between letters and for saidspacing to be proportional for each size of letter made, score linessuch as 32 are made on plate 11. This line 32 extends from the junctionof edges 13 and 14 to the upper edge 20 of the plate on an angle suchthat when the size of opening 17 is at maximum, the distance of thespacing between edge 14 and said score line 32 at edge 16 will be thedistance of the desired spacing for the largest size letters or numeralsmade with the device. A similar score line 34 is made on the plate 12which leads from the junction of edges 15, 16 thereof toward the lowerside of the plate, this score line extending par- According t alleltoscore line 32. It will be seen that the score line 32 forms with theedges 14 and 20 a right triangle whose apex is at the junction of theedges 13 and 14. Since edges 16 and 20 are parallel to each other, aline drawn along edge 16 from edge 14 to line 32 will be parallel, toedge2t). It may be proven by geometry that every line parallel to edge20 and extending from the edge 14 to score line 32 will be proportionalin length. The score line 34 being similar, the same condition holdstherefor. In the use of the spacer lines 32, 34 (see the right-handfigure of Fig. the device is slid along the straight edge (not shown) tobring line 32 at the location crossed by edge 16, in registry with theupper right-hand corner of the letter made as at 35. This will locatethe opening 17 at the proper distance from the particular size of thelast letter made. The score line 32 is employed when making letters fromleft to right and the score line 34 is employed when lettering fromright to left. The edges 25 and 22 are employed to guide the markinginstrument in drawing the slanted branch portion of letters such as N,K, W, etc.

In Fig. 3 I have shown a device which is similar in every particular tothat shown in Fig. 1, with the exception that the instrument guidingedges of the quadrilateral opening are arranged so as to produce slantedlettering, like parts being indicated with like but primed numerals.

It may now be apparent that I have disclosed a lettering device in whicha quadrilateral opening is formed of any of a multiplicity of sizes eachproportional to the other in which the side of the opening providesguide edges for drawing letters or numerals. It will also be apparentthat the angle of slant of the edges 21, 22 and 23, 24 will govern therelative proportion between the height and width of the opening 17.Thus, the more acute the angle of slant, the greater height to width ofopening. For example, when said edges slant at 45, the opening will haveequal sides. Accordingly, any angle up to 90 may be chosen so as toprovide the desired proportion between height arid width of letters. Itwill also be apparent that disregarding the alignment of edges 21, 22and 23, 24, the plates may be adjusted to make letters having otherproportions in Width and height.

As previously mentioned the plates are superimposed one on the other.However, in some instances, it may be desirable to position one leg ofthe plate 12 on one side of the plate 11 and the other leg of the plate12 on the other side of the plate 11 as shown in Fig. 4.

It will also be apparent that in certain instances the user may wish toproduce a lettering style such as a compressed or expanded lettering.This may be accomplished in any given device by disregarding thealignment of the sides 21, 23 and 22, 24 and merely sliding the platesrelative to each other and maintaining parallelism of said sides. Insome instances, it may be desired to provide .4 for a'wider spacingbetween letters than that provided for by lines 32, 34. Accordingly,additional score lines 32", 34" may be added to provide for the Widerspacing between letters.

I claim:

*1. A lettering device comprising two thin transparent generallyL-shaped plates super-imposed one on the other flatwise in adjustedposition, each of said plates having adjacent edge surfaces extendinginwardly from outer edges of said plates and, with the adjacent edgesurfaces on one plate being oppositely disposed to the said adjacentedge surfaces of the other plate and co-operating therewith to form aquadrilateral opening, the opposite of said edge surfaces extendingparallel with each other, each of said plates having a third edgeadapted to be aligned flush with each other and extending parallel to adiagonal of said opening, said plates being adapted to be adjustablypositioned one on the other with said third edges extending flush witheach other whereby to proportionally increase or decrease the size ofsaid opening, and adhesive means for holding said plates together inadjusted relation.

2. In a lettering device as set forth in claim 1 wherein score lines areprovided for indicating the spacing between letters formed with the aidof said device, said score lines radiating from the left bottom andright top corners of said opening.

3. A lettering device comprising two thin plates of general L-shapesuperimposed one on the other in adjusted position, one of said plateshaving a base adapted to slide along a straight edge, each of saidplates having edge surfaces at right angles to one another and extendinginwardly from outer edges thereof, each of the edge surfaces on one ofthe plates being adjacent to a corresponding edge surface on the otherplate, one of said adjacent edge surfaces extending parallel to saidbase, corresponding edge surfaces on the plates being parallel andoppositely disposed and cooperating to form a quadrilateral opening,said plates having an edge thereon aligned flush with each other andextending parallel to a diagonal of said opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS177,120 Harvey May 9, 1876 2,115,448 Pradt Apr. 26, 1938 2,161,236 ShawJune 6, 1939 2,221,609 Sanger Nov. 12, 1940 2,246,920 Kromholz June. 24,1941 2,560,937 Ens July 17, 1951 2,702,944 Lane et a1. Mar. 1, 19552,720,706 Laine Oct. 18, 1955 most... F-

